Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’s Sleepover

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’s Sleepover by May Gibbs (Scholastic Australia)
HB RRP $19.99
ISBN 978-1-74283-021-6
Reviewed by Jenny Heslop

Snugglepot, Cuddlepie and Ragged Blossom are getting ready for a sleepover when they discover there will be six extra guests. Mrs Kookaburra’s chicks. How will everyone fit into Mrs Koala’s house and will the chicks keep everyone awake with their chirping?

This charming story will reintroduce young children to the classic and enduring Gumnut Babies created by May Gibbs. Soft, gentle pictures with adorable gumnut babies and baby animals will be a hit with young readers - with the illustrations being instantly recognisable to anyone who grew up with Snugglepot and Cuddlepie as bedtime stories.

Snugglepot and Cuddlepie’s Sleepover is a new story based on the iconic characters of May Gibbs. All the characters, from Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, to Mrs Kookaburra, are just as I remember. And the author Mark MacLeod has captured the enchanted atmosphere of the original stories and the flavour of the Australian bush.

Young children will love this book and parents and grandparents will remember May Gibb’s storytelling with nostalgia while enjoying this new addition.

SWW Literary Lunch

Notice of the Annual General Meeting the Society of Women Writers NSW Inc

Wednesday, July 10

Venue: Dixson Room, State Library of NSW, Macquarie St

Workshop (10 am – 11.50) Presenter: Mark McCleod: "Writing to Engage Young Minds" - workshop:  $15.00 (No Need to book - everyone is welcome) Convenor: Beatrice Yell - 9452 2299

Literary Lunch:   (12.30- 1pm)

Member Talk: (1- 1.20 pm) Patricia Barton: Why God Hates Me - memoir

Guest Speaker: (1.25 - 2 pm) Dr Joanna Penglase:  Orphans of the Living: Growing up in Care in 20th Century Australia

Cost: $40 for non-members, $35 for members, $15 (workshop only)

Bookings required before 10am Mon 8 July to:

PLEASE BOOK BY EMAIL IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A COMPUTER

Contact Name: SWW Lunch Booking

Email address: swwlunchbooking@gmail.com

Mobile phone: Text message to 0403 177 208

Your text message should be addressed to swwlunchbooking or swwlunch and should contain: date, your name and number.

Stories for 5 Year Olds

Stories for 5 Year Olds edited by Linsay Knight, illustrated by Tom Jellett (Random House Australia)
PB RRP $14.95
ISBN 9781742756660
Reviewed by Marian McGuinness

It’s a perennial question asked by parents, relatives and friends. What book can I buy for a 5 year old to read?

Editor, Linsay Knight, has responded to the question with the first in a series of anthologies for young readers.

At 5, some children are reading independently, some are reading with help and others are being read to. This selection of 10 stories has something for everyone.

Most are short stories, but three are written in chapters. The font is friendly to new readers, the sentences are short and simple and there are small twists in the plots to keep the readers guessing. That doesn’t mean that the stories are simple. On the contrary, there are many quirky stories.

There’s Dianne Bates’ inventive adventure story set in the middle of the post-Christmas sales and Sophie Masson’s layered plot that builds and builds the suspense and then cleverly unwinds it.

Humour paves the way with Bill Condon’s descriptions of Jasper, the bottom-biting dog and in Victor Kelleher’s story, The Gorilla Suit.

There are challenging words, lots of alliteration, onomatopoeia and vibrant verbs. These stories come from a variety of sources including Aussie Nibbles and The School Magazine.

Tom Jellett’s cute sketches break up the prose on every second or third page so that the reader doesn’t get too word-weary.

You can even find out about the award-winning authors by reading their biographies at the back of the book.

With writers like Mark Macleod, Janeen Brian, Phil Cummings and more, the 5 year old in your life will be well catered for.